


To take a breath of fresh air

by avatarbourgeois



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Book 3: Change, Canon Compliant, Gen, Non Benders, Original Character-centric, air acolytes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-04-04
Packaged: 2018-05-30 19:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6438079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avatarbourgeois/pseuds/avatarbourgeois
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Universe balanced itself by restoring airbending to the world and air nation will soon be alive again, thanks to the efforts of master Tenzin and Avatar Korra, but what's about air acolytes? What's theirs feelings towards all of that changes to come? Some of them are happy, some are angry, some of them pretends things remain the same and others just didn't know yet. One of them is Hina and she is about to figure this out, alongside with her life in the new spiritual age.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hina and teacher Baku

Hina tried really, really hard to focus on her breath. She couldn't. Not when her eyes are swollen and lids are heavy, after few restless nights full of staring at the ceiling and thoughts. She felt cool, morning air on her bare arms, neck and face, which make her shiver from cold, something what, during her long, nearly twenty years long stay on air temple insland and morning meditations on daily basis, happens only in coldest winter, not warm summer like now. Simple air acolyte robes she was wearing make her uncomfortable, and too hot at that same time she was freezing. There was no chance for achieving the required for meditation peace. At least she could try to sit for the remaining time to the end of it, unnoticed.

"The time of morning meditation is over. I thank You all for our session. You can go to the breakfast and then to your duties" announced Baku, the old and slightly pudgy air acolyte with big, round glasses on his nose, who replaced master Tenzin in his absence.

Acolytes rise from the their seats on the floor, and they started to leave. Hina reamined in her spot a while longer, wiping her forehead and she sighed happy that she can finally go to do something to busy herself.

"Except you Hina. I want to talk to you for a moment" he said, what gives her creeps, but she was trying to be calm.

"Yes, teacher Baku, is there something I can help?" She tried to sound polite, despite how she feels.

"I noticed you are lately unfocused and little edgy. Is there a explanation for such attitude Hina?" She gulped. Baku seems always knew everything, about anything or anyone, only by looking at it, she didn't know how. She guessed its just old age- older acolyte could be peer of the previous avatar, minus one hundred years spended in iceberg of course.

"It's just... so many things hapenned in so short time..., we were attacked by some sort of dark uncle of avatar, spirit vines appeared all over the city, allong side with spirits, and world entered in the new spiritual age..." Baku gave her there sign to stops, what made her feel like she was a schoolgirl. In bad meaning of this word.

"And some people over United Republic and Earth Kingdom were endowed with airbending, isn't it, Hina?" She droped eyesight at that, suddenly she felt very ashamed of herself.

"Teacher Baku I just..." 

"Hina, you don't must explain yourself anymore. I excepted that some of us will become unsecure and even angry, ever since Bumi start bend air himself." That confused her. 

Baku wasn't a person she could talk about personal feelings, wants or insecurities. For him, all of this was only a distraction on the path to the enlightenment, and every simple thing or thought should be abandoned if they standed on this way. When she was younger, she joked with Pema that he should weight less, like his favorite guru Laghima. She even remember hearing stories about him lecturing Avatar Aang about air monks traditions, and how should or shouldn't be his personal life- air nomads didn't have families, at least not the way former the last airbender and master Katara had.

"So, you acknowledge that that... whole rebi..."Baku shook his head at that and Hina narrowed her brow angry, he just interrupted her again.

" I excepted that of some of younger acolyte to doubt in yourself. But not from you, what's made me very dissapointed. You were one's of master Tenzin and me best students. You had the best grip about airbending culture, alongside with Pema and Otaku." 

Hina looked over the sea and wished she could jumped from this gazebo, run to the water and swim to the shore. She already knew what will be next. She just sighed and braced herself.  
"And you were better that them. You are not infatile like Otaku and didn't formed attachments which would hold you back and were against air monks culture. However you choose be pity and be jealous." 

That was it. She will not listen to his long and disapprowing lecture he will give her, and then agree with it, or listen more of this.

"That's not what's I'm about! I just... wanted to thinks that over and talk to someone, but not you! You're just too inconsiderate and insensitive and you know what? I think you are just old and so afraid that rise of neo airbenders will change anything, that you choose to pretend that this will never happends!"

"That's enough! Emotions overtook you, and you can't think clearly. Maybe I should exempt you from today's duties. Take this time to mediiate properly, talk to people like you wanted and consider all of this," He was looking at her with piercing gaze, and after few moments he left her alone on the gazebo.  
She lovered her head, and was staring at her feet. _She just snaped. And screamed at someone. That's never happened before to her. She normally wouldn't done such a thing. She thought outbursts like this was below her. She consider and emphatize other ones feelings, especially of elders and children. But not today, not from some time, to be true._

_She really needed to take a breath of fresh air and to contemplate._


	2. Hina and friend Pema

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hina thinks why she joined to the air acolytes and talk with Pema about place of non benders in the air nation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot longer and more important chapter.

After her fight with older acolyte Baku, she decided to remain on gazebo and at least try to meditiate and to calm down. It's turned out that she was in no shape for meditation, so she decided to think through some things.

She knew she didn't join the acolytes to gain power to bend, being gifted by some kind of providence was never in the picture. She wanted to self-improve, to be the best version of herself, not that poor, depressed girl, which fate was to live in Dragon Flats borough with husband which, in best case, she liked the best from these were available, which wasn't very good, she wasn't even in love and marriage. Her parents would happily ged rid of someone useless as her, and gave their ownership over her away to anyone who would like take her from them. She didn't want to be owned. She didn't take this option in consideration.

She wanted to study and learn, and to grow. But at that time she couldn't go to the university- she didn't have enough money even if she would get a job, which was unlikely for a non bending woman without connections and education, what was ridiculous- she couldn't get a degree to get a job, and she couldn't find a job to pay for schoolarship.

She loved to learn about foreign and ancients cultures, she even wanted to become archeologist, but couldn't, so she choose the closest thing to that. Becoming the air acolyte when she come to proper age was practical choice at time. She freed herself from environment she despites and she gained place to stay, clothes and sustenance and she could to continue to study history, knowledge and tradition of the most spiritual and peaceful civilization what ever existed.

When she arrived on the air temple insland she was welcomed with open arms. It's seems like endered to whole different world. People there were so unlike those she meet earlier in her life. The were so kind, they offered her so much hospitality. They have open minds and didn't try to put her back beacause of from she was, and who she was. She even starts to explore her spiritual aspect. She felt save and in peace, and a year later when she meet her best friend, she thought she find her place in this crazy planet full of crazy benders and hatefull madmens. She felt like she supposed having a family should feels like. Like she was cared about and wanted.

She was happy.

Until now.

When people all over the United Republic and Earth Kingdom started manifest new foundly ability to air bend she ďdidn't knew what to fell. It was good thing to the universe, it ballanced the power of elements by restoring airbending to itself. She should be exhilarated and glad not insecure and terrifield. She knew that. Despite this she felt empty black hole in place where previously were sense of purpose and affiliation. She desperately tried to not be like this. She wish for things to remain the same, but that didn't gonna happends. Thats change will affect her life as well.

She break from her reverie when something brushed her neck and her curly, brown hight piled hair from behind. she turned her head and she saw those warm and the kind green eyes . It was Pema holding a celery in one hand and willow basked in another. She was smiling and Hina couldn't help but smiled back- first time in this week. 

"You must work on your meditation technique If simple celery distract you from it" she said playfully.

"Good... afternoon, evidently, Pema, you are mistaken- your celery didn't wakes me up, but your loud shuffling. You should more training your's air bending-like forms beacause you evidently fell out of shape" She said with narrowed brows, but smirking in that same time.

"How rude of you, complaining on shape of mother a seven month old baby boy" Pema put palm of her hand, still holding a vegetable, on her chest, pretending to be offended.

"Your shape is lovely, I'm just telling you to higher raise your feet while walking, then I will be perfectly happy with you"

Pema shook her head for her conpemtorary manners. "Can I sit here for a little whille?"

"Element of air is all about being free, isn't is?" _like so many strangers to their culture got it for free..._ she cracked internally on her joke- she always though of herself as hilarious joker, even when nobody laugh at her attempts to be funny- or noticed them at all. After a moment she realized something what's only made her feel worse.

_Its our culture? Or theirs? What right I have to claim myself as one of air nation?_

Pema tucked her legs underneath her sitting on the floor, looking worriedly at Hina as she stared at the sea. 

"So why I didn't see you on the greenhouse, nor on the practise of forms, or in the sky bison caves? Baku told me that you didn't feel very well so he give you free today"

"So?"

"I wanted to check on you sa fast as I got free moment and could give Rohan to Kya so she babysit him"

"You didn't afraid that she will make him... you know... hippie?"

"We, air nation people, are hippie anyway" Pema told with smile in her gentle face, but throat of hina tightened at that. She tried compose herself to continue conservation.

"What about you? Did something happened to you?"

"Ooh, you're such a mom, that's soo sweet, but I'm..." _I can't lie to her_ "little worse than okay"

"You know you can tell me everything? We are best friends, aren't we?"

Hina consider this for a moment. She wanted to talk to someone she trust, but she didn't want to burden her friend with her uncertainties, and possibly make her feel similar way.

Pema started looking at her with winged lemur big, pleading eyes and lips pursed in a spout. "Pema, stop doing that, you're too old for this."

"I'm not too old, you're older than me"

"Only by a year, If you aren't old, then whats are those, my dear, old friend?" Hina reached back of her hand to the Pema's greying strands.

Pema spoon her hand with her palm what worried Hina that she might over stepped a border "They were fine... until Meelo. If you could see what he make with his father, I'm telling you, Tenzin didn't have to shave his head every morning now. That kid make him naturally bald."

Hinna started to laught loud. Too loudly for what's was worth that replies. Pema pat her back to calm her down with raised eyebrow. When she accomplish that, she asked again. "Hina, I know thaf something is wrong. Just tell me, please"

She sighed "Pema, with air benders coming back, there I questioning myself, about our, mine and all air acolytes, place in the new air nation." She confessed.

"That's... valid concern" Pema admited simply with half closed lids, looking in the Hina's eyes.

Hina sighed, this time with relief. "Pema, you see, the air nomads were making very strongly connection between air bending and spirituality, they trained theirs abilities to bend, alongside with developing their spiritual growth."

"And supposedly there were non benders among them" Pema ended for her. "I know that"

Hina shook her head "Huh, yes, there are theories which were saying thats not entirely true. There were rumors about non benders inferior to air monks caste in air nomads society, since air benders genocide. They were either teached to survive on their own, then they became a part of one's of the groups of nomads which were made up from non air benders. Its possible that some of them settled in villages and cities, or they choose to became hermits. Or they stay, but they weren't there on equal terms. They couldn't learn air bending moves, even in their martial art form, and they can't received a master's tattoos" 

"These were disseminated by fire nation, after they attacked and looted the air temples as a part of their war propaganda, like these about them gathering an army." Pema told without signs of any anger or iritation.

"Right, but when we... air nation gained back the temples, archeologist and few of air acolytes gathered bits of informations, which could support some parts of that"

"That's... not suprised me. I heards something about this eariel."

Hina frowned. "If you knew about this, why you made me telling you that?"

"I wanted to heard you out. You're afraid that air acolytes will be treated the same way as in these stories? You know that these theories didn't were proven, and you can be sure, if this turned out to be true, they won't make those mistakes again"

"Yes, beacause we both know what happened to Bumi and Kya, and they children of Avatar, the world's last airbender." Hina had tears in her eyes.

"Hina, that's was different case. That's was their choice to don't be a part of air nation the our way, and we should respect that"

"Like master Tenzin didn't gave his seat to anyone of us, despite the distrubance from equalist side. And he with Avatar Korra and her crew travel across the continent to gather as many neo air benders, as it is possible." she sighed tiredly, several tears were slowly stream from eyes on her checks. Pema bit her lip and wanted to comfort her long time friend, but Hina gestured to give her time to finish her. 

She wiped her check and took a breath. "And worst thing in this is that... I they all have right. If air bending is connected to spirituality, then those who gained that they were meant to be a part of air nation... unlike me. Us. The acolytes. We want, but that's meant nothing" Pema couldn't hold herself any longer, and embraced her when Hina starts to sobbing.

"Hina... I know what you must feeling... " Pema tell to her ear and begin to make circles on her back, while she was wiping in crook of holding her friend. 

"I want to tell you that..." Pema didn't finished. Burst of air make them to seperate, and to look in it's way. There was standing little air bending girl with glider stick in her hands and frustated look on her face. 

"Mom! Meelo wants to make from the new air benders a fighting machines and to make them soldiers of his cause to get revange on fire nation for genocide which happened one hundreds seventy years ago, and he didn't listen me when I telling him to stop, and I telled him that I will tell you, so I telling you" when Ikki ended she must take a breath of air from rapid talking, her anger and quick flight here. "Oh, hi auntie Hina."

Hina and Pema just looked on one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Hina and stranger Yorru.

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly I'm sorry for any mistakes and errors i made, English isn't my first language, but that's not excuse.  
> I wrote this to challenge myself, and beacause show didn't have time or willingness to  
> explore that issue or it just didn't fit the narrative, which was not it's fault, but I think it's one of fanfics jobs to do.


End file.
